IMPHAL, April 4: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme) is an effort of the government to rescue farmers from critical situations, Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency MP Thangso Baite said while inaugurating a Farmers’ Fair cum awareness program on the scheme at KVK Hengbung Senapati today.
Manipur is an agrarian society with more than 99 percent of the population dependable on agriculture and its allied sectors, due to the lack of industrial projects in the State, he said.
Under such circumstances, the scheme not only welcomed but needed in the State, Baite said.
Baite said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mentioned the importance of the agricultural sector in the State and of the need to insure the crops of the farmers.
The scheme aims to protect crops from natural and weather disasters which are not under human control.
Baite further exhorted the need to conduct more such awareness camps throughout the State.
He said scientists and agricultural officers should help in making the farmers aware of the crop insurance.
Delivering the key-note address, programme coordinator Dr N Joytsna Devi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the scheme in February this year.
Now the Ministry of Agriculture has strongly instructed the KVK centres numbering more than 600 throughout the country to held awareness campaigns on the scheme within the period of March 30 to April 5 with atleast an MP attending the function as chief guest, she said.
The scheme will cover all crops destroyed or damaged by natural calamities, she said.
This scheme is not similar to the previous schemes which have high premiums and complex process of claiming insurance, she added.
She elaborated the insurance can be availed at a low premium which is easily affordable to the farmers so that they can insure their crops against any natural calamity.
Central Agricultural University vice chancellor Prof. M Premjit said the schemealso has provisions for proper irrigation projects, watershed development, drip irrigation facility.
He said the scheme follows a one crop, one premium principle with Kharip crops at 2 percent premium, Rabi crops 1.5 percent and Horticulture and commercial crops upto 5 percent.
Around Rs 17,600 crores have been reflected in recent budget of India for the scheme per year, he said.
Premjit said last year alone more than 3000 farmers committed suicide after their crops were damaged by calamities, now the scheme will aim to solve this problem.
Altogether 14 stalls were opened in the fair including a medical stall by the 35 Assam Rifles hengbung.
The 35 AR is under the aegis of Senapati Brigade of red shield division and also provides medical assistance to farmers.